Friday, September 4, 2015

Gene Bearden: A Knuckler in a Whirlwind

Gene Bearden is best known for his great performance for the World Champion Cleveland club in 1948, going 20-7 as a rookie pitcher and beating the Red Sox in a playoff, then winning and saving one in the World Series.

His career didn't finish with such a flourish in the majors, and he went from the Indians to the Senators, Tigers, Browns, and finally, the White Sox in 1953. His Baseball Reference page lists the move from the Browns to the Sox as:

"Gene Bearden, former Cleveland Indian pitcher, Saturday was
acquired by the Seattle Rainiers of the Coast League in a deal that sent
shortstop Alex Garbowski and pitcher Art Del Duca to Charleston of the American
Assn.”

Charleston was the White Sox AAA team in 1954. Seattle was independent.

"Former San Francisco Seals pitcher Gene Bearden, who has
been working out here with the Milwaukee Braves, has been released by the major
league club and assigned to Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League."

Other articles have him assigned by the Braves there, though Sacramento was independent at the time. Bearden stayed the full season there, then requested a trade in the off-season. He recanted that later, but was dealt partway into the 1957 season to Minneapolis in the Giants' organization.

"Sacramento announced the acquisition of outfielder Edward
Perry White from Minneapolis of the American Assn., in exchange for outfielder
Jackie Tobin, veteran pitcher Gene Bearden and an undisclosed amount of cash."

Bearden would end his career in Minneapolis.

Whew! What a whirlwind! And so many players that had been in the majors.

If you can add to this list, or any other entry to the blog, feel free to do so!